Each summer Endeavor sends a number of incoming and second-year MBA students, recruited from top schools, to work on-site with Endeavor Entrepreneurs on projects ranging from strategic planning to market expansion. The program is supported by a generous grant from Barclays. Following is a post from Tammy Wu, a member of the Cornell-Queen’s Executive MBA Class of 2014, who spent the summer working with Endeavor Entrepreneurs at Brazil’s MXT. For more photos of Tammy’s experience, click here.

The Global Business Project is the culminating project for our program. It’s where we tie together concepts from across courses in a real international setting. Each team is required to find its own management consulting project outside of North America, and to work with that client over many months.

Team Markham all set for the factory tour at MXT

Our team developed seven different project opportunities, ranging in location from India to Dubai to Brazil, with industries as different as import/export of foods, solar energy, and pharmaceuticals. In the end, we selected a tracking technology company in Brazil called MXT. We wanted a project where our client would be engaged at the senior management level, and where our inputs would be meaningful. We wanted to ensure that our team, with its breadth of experience across functional areas, could add value by applying their career experience in a new environment. We hoped to be involved in a project that provided social benefit, and on top of all that, we wanted to have fun!

Even with such high hopes, the project completely exceeded our expectations. It was a highly rewarding experience to work on-site at MXT, and to interact with incredibly passionate people. As part of the project engagement, our team led a workshop, and the level of involvement and interest that was displayed by MXT staff was simply phenomenal. Moreover, our team was completely blown away by the extent of warmth and hospitality that was extended towards us.

Thanks to Endeavor Global and Endeavor Brasil for making the connection between our team and MXT. Endeavor is a non-profit organization committed to developing high-impact entrepreneurship across the globe. http://www.endeavor.org/

We are grateful to Gustavo Travassos, the founder of MXT, and the MXT senior management team, for this project experience. Our team has learned much about the opportunities and challenges of doing business in Brazil, as well as the joys and trials of entrepreneurship. We are back at home, inspired and excited for what lies ahead, both for MXT, and for our own business and career endeavors!